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Intensive Spanish Immersion Program

Tico Lingo Spanish School
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Course description

Tico Lingo offers quality Spanish immersion programs lead by certified, native Spanish professors. Paired with a local homestay family, students can be sure to quickly advance their speaking and comprehension skills.Each program has a flexible duration ranging from 1-24 weeks. Many students have seen significant increases in Spanish language fluency after 3 to 4 weeks.

Group classes begin every Monday. Each student will be assigned to a small classroom and placed with like-leveled students. Students will be in group class for 20 hours/week (4 hours/day, Monday-Friday) and will be pushed to learn new grammar skills and to apply those skills verbally in the classroom. This class was specifically designed to get students to advance their speaking skills.

Included in the program:

• Written and oral exam to assess Spanish level
• Airport pickup from SJO and drop off at homestay
• Orientation tour with map of Heredia and surrounding area
• 24/7 support and local contact in Heredia
• All necessary class materials: pencils, notebooks, etc.
• Free internet access both at school and in homestays
• Fresh coffee and tea each morning at school
• Conversational classes with locals
• Official certificate of course completion

Class schedule

Course duration
1-12 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
20 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 60 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test before your arrival in Heredia to determine your class level.

Class size

Average 3 students
Maximum 6 students

Student age

Age range 18 years old and older
Average 35 years old
(23 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school

School description

Located in the colonial city of Heredia, Tico Lingo offers a complete Spanish immersion program curated by expert Spanish professors. We are devoted to helping students achieve Spanish fluency through immersion and cultural education. Our aim is to teach, immerse, and initiate a global understanding of Costa Rican culture and the Spanish language.

In addition to Spanish classes, Tico Lingo offers a Homestay program where students live in the homes with nearby families. We also offer volunteer opportunities, on-site cultural activities like yoga, dance, cooking, and art class, and adventure tours like white-water rafting and canopy zip line tours.

We are young, we are connected, and we are passionate about creating the perfect environment to learn Spanish and volunteer in Costa Rica. We want to spark cultural exchanges on a global level with people from around the world. Join our conversation – start learning Spanish today!

Year opened
2015
Number of classrooms
6

Facilities

  • Library
  • Social Activities
  • Cultural Trips
  • Wheelchair access
  • Eating Area
  • Free Internet
  • Wireless Internet
  • After-Class Seminars
  • Studying Area
  • Sports Activities

Teacher qualifications

Native Spanish speakers
All
Teachers with Spanish teaching certification
All
Teachers with college degrees
All

Nationality and age mix

The nationality and age mix at Tico Lingo Spanish School varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 35. In the summer, the average age is 23.

Tico Lingo teaches students from all over the world, including:

USA
55%
Canada
15%
Australia
5%
Belgium
5%
Germany
5%
Netherlands
5%
UK
5%
Bahamas
3%
Jamaica
2%

School holidays

Tico Lingo does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Open dates
Year round
School holidays
None

Take a video tour

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photos

Photos

  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 1/26
  • Building of Tico Lingo Spanish School 2/26
  • Building of Tico Lingo Spanish School 3/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 4/26
  • Classes at Tico Lingo Spanish School 5/26
  • Activities offered at Tico Lingo Spanish School 6/26
  • Activities offered at Tico Lingo Spanish School 7/26
  • City of Heredia 8/26
  • Activities offered at Tico Lingo Spanish School 9/26
  • Activities offered at Tico Lingo Spanish School 10/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 11/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 12/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 13/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 14/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 15/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 16/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 17/26
  • Homestay housing offered by Tico Lingo Spanish School 18/26
  • Tico Lingo Spanish School 19/26
  • Tico Lingo Spanish School 20/26
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  • Tico Lingo Spanish School 23/26
  • Tico Lingo Spanish School 24/26
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reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 1 review
5 stars
1
4 stars
0
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Love Tico Lingo and Can't Wait to Go Back"

ERick

I had a fantastic experience at Tico Lingo back in 2019. I learned an incredible amount of Spanish!! Way more than I ever did in high school! My homestay family was truly amazing and welcomed me with open arms. We stay in touch almost every day. The Spanish professors I had made class fun and engaging. It was just an all around really fun experience that taught me a lot more about the world than just the Spanish language. Highly recommend going if you can.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
10 Jun 2019 - 28 Jun 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
housing

Housing

Tico Lingo offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

NZ$ 350
weekly
Age range: 13 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Heredia
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, telephone, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, and garden
Distance to school: 1 - 20 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Sunday, before 11:00 AM
NZ$ 350
By staying with a local homestay family, students will experience the typical culture, food, and community of Costa Rica. Expect to have many opportunities to speak Spanish with native speakers over meals and family outings. A one week stay is from Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. Checkout is at 11am. Each student will receive a short bio as well as the contact information of the family before arrival.

Your Bedroom
Most Costa Rican families have a spare room or two due to children leaving the home for university or jobs outside of Heredia. Quaint, always unique, and totally private, each room comes with at least a full-size bed, a desk, and a dresser or closet to store clothes.

Wifi internet is always accessible from the bedrooms and a key is given to students so to keep their door locked if desired.

Your Meals
Fresh fruits, veggies and locally grown coffee aplenty! Costa Rican cuisine is nutritionally well rounded, always cooked from scratch, and loaded with the many exotic fruits and vegetables readily available locally.

Traditional meals have a home-cooked, comforting feel to them, and with our homestay program you’ll be given two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Custom diets like vegan, kosher-free, and gluten free are no problem for us to manage. Just let us know in your sign-up form before you arrive.

What’s Included
– Airport Pickup from SJO
– Daily breakfast and dinner
– Wifi internet access and weekly laundry service
– Private Bedroom and keys to come and go as you please
– A short bio and contact info of the family you’ve been placed with (sent before arrival)
– A short walk to Tico Lingo with your family on your first day of class
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Heredia based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from Tico Lingo Spanish School staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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